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newsawards guests raise over £5,000 for dementia and Alzheimer’s research

Attendees at newsawards 2017 this week raised more than £5,000 for charity.

The money was raised for BRACE - a charity dedicated to raising funds towards dementia and Alzheimer’s research.

PJ editor and publisher Gary Cullum, a director of newsawards said: “It was a fabulous amount to raise from our 500 attendees and I was delighted that former BBC and ITN newscaster Sir Martyn Lewis (pictured) was able to attend to speak on behalf of the charity and assist with the prize draw.

“We were hugely indebted to our sponsors and a number of publishers for donating some great prizes. it meant that every penny donated by generious guests will be donated to BRACE.

ON stage, Sir Martyn said: “BRACE exists to defeat dementia through science and 2017 is an important year for the charity. This year, the charity marks 30 years funding world class dementia research. It has helped build a formidable network of scientists working hard to come up with answers.”

He said there are about 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK. Worldwide, more people have dementia than live in Spain, and there are nearly 8 million new cases every year. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause.

“Given the devastating human cost and the impact on public services, defeating dementia is increasingly urgent. BRACE is redoubling efforts to help fund further vital research to build on the progress achieved so far.

“Defeating dementia through science is not a quick process. The example of cancer research over half a century shows how much can be achieved with patience, inspiration and, of course, resources. Dementia research began in earnest much later and, even today, has vastly less money at its disposal than cancer research.”

Sir Martyn said dementia was a complex and diverse condition that requires many lines of painstaking enquiry, and progress is incremental. “However, the past thirty years has seen considerable advances, and we could be on the brink of breakthroughs in our ability to treat patients.”